Streetlights could be turned off in cost-cutting measure, warns Department for Infrastructure

The Department for Infrastructure said it had been left with a 14% cut in its funding which would leave it facing "stark budgetary challenges". Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris last week announced a budget for Northern Ireland in the absence of devolved ministers at Stormont. However, the Department of Infrastructure said its 2023/24 allocation did not recognise steps taken in the previous year to balance its budget.

A spokesperson said this included a one-off decision to use public service operator Translink's reserves to help maintain services. The spokesperson added: "Taking that into account means DfI is now facing a 14% cut in its resource budget compared to last year. "This is before the additional funding which is needed for energy and inflation in 2023/24."

The department said it had already taken decisions to reduce expenditure and raise revenue, including increasing Translink fares and increasing on-street car park charges in Belfast, Lisburn and Newry. It said it had also increased non-domestic water and sewerage charges and was delivering limited essential road maintenance service and flood management services. This includes filling potholes, emptying gullies and clearing blockages in rivers.

The department said that despite this, it is still facing a deficit of more than £100 million. It said final decisions have yet to be taken to bridge the funding gap but set out a number of scenarios.

Measures to bridge funding gap include: - reducing public transport provision; - impacting water and wastewater services; - road maintenance and flood risk management operational activities being reduced to emergency-only services; - no funding for community transport; - streetlights being switched off; - no road gritting service provided this winter.

The spokesperson said: "Clearly, these are extremely difficult and unprecedented circumstances. "The department will liaise with NIO and consider equality impacts in relation to the ongoing decision-making process. "The department's capital allocation of £792m (which is £146m less than would have been required) will enable some key schemes to progress, for example the Belfast Transport Hub; A5; rail and bus safety works; and some structural maintenance of our road network.

"It will not however facilitate the level of investment required to properly maintain our infrastructure assets and could delay the progress for some schemes."